Available cop



Aug. 9 1927. 1,638,485

A. P. GUSTAFSON PNsum VALVE CONTROLLING MECH su FOR L INSTRUMENTS ANDTHE E Filed May 29. 1925 MU A llnv for. AdQLphP. ustofson byMWRW Attys.

Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

ADOLPH P. GUSTAFSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PNEULIATICVALVE-CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR MUSICEAL INSTRUMENTS AND THELIKE.

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic valve controllingmechanisms for musical instruments and the like and the principal objectthereof is to provide a simplified, more durable and more sensitivemechanism for controlling the pneumatic which actuates themusic-producingmechanism.

More specifically the invention relates to a novel valve-actuating pouchfor use in pneumatic controlling mechanisms for musical instruments andthe like.

In usual types of pneumatically operated controlling devices for musicalinstruments, such as piano players and organ players and various otherdevices, pneumatics, usually in the form of bellows, are employed toactuate the pickers which in turnactuate the n'iusic-producingmechanism. The a'ctuation of the pneumatics or bellows is pro} duced bychanging the air pressure within the pneumatics' and this: is controlledby ;a valve or valves which act alternately to admit air to the bellowsor to subject the bellows tothe action of a partial vacuum. These valvesare ordinarily arranged in valve chambers, one of the walls of which isin the form of a socalled pouch fboard having a series of countersinksover 'whic'h a diaphragm of flexible material, fusu all'y sheepskin, isloosely-stretched; The' v'alv e stem rests eitherdirectlyQor,indirectlyfupbn this diaphragm and the .valve,is. actuatedby the admission of air. to the countersink beneath the diaphragmthrough -'s ui"t able ducts which are connected byfie'xibltribes withports in a tracker-barover which; a tightly drawn perforated sheet ismoved;.-'

Various dcfectshave been found in the valve-actuating mechanism of; thistype. The countersinks in usual.pouclr-bo'ardsfare arranged in rows orinstaggered rela tion and are in close proxirhitylto each other, thedistance between the adjacentje dges. ofthese countersinks being,approxirnately threesixteenths of an inch atthe nearest point. Thenatural porosity of the wood frequently permits leakage from: onecountersink to another as the chambers of thesevcountersinks are usuallysubjected to partial vacuum This, of course, interferes with the properoperation of the controlling means. The peripheries of the diapliragmsare either secured to the flatface of the tracker-bar or in very narrow.countersinks Application filed May 29, 1925." Serial No. 33,643.

about the edges thereof and in either instance are likely to becomedetached in one or more places by reason of absorption of moisture andby virtue of the shrinking'and expansion of the wood of the pouch board.The diaphragms themselves, which are usually made of sheepskin, aresubject to expansion and contraction with variations in moisture of theatmosphere and when applied. most carefully are likely to contract orexpand greater in one direction than another. Consequently their actionupon the valve stems isuneven and in many instances are at an angle tothe axis, thus necessitating a flexible joint between the valve stem andvalve in order; to insure "proper seating bf the valve. i

Themanufacture of pouch boards requires expensive machinery and accuratework- 'inanship and the securing 0f the diaphragms ,to' ,the @pousmears; necessitates highly skilledlabor1" One of the objects' of thepresent inven tion isito' provide avalve-actuating pouch which willavoidall .of these obJections. This is accomplished' by providing avalveaQtuating'pgfuch whichfis self-containing and which l-when defiatedissiibstantially fiat and which when inflated will alw'ays'act indirectal'inement with the axis of the valve, which can be readily manufacturedand'which can be easilyassembled upon the'pouchboard without specially}skilled labor. By. reason of the p'resentfinyehtionthe valve-actuatingpouches can be applied directly to a pouch board presenting a fiat facethus avoiding-the neeessityg'of countersinkin'g and also enabling the'use of thinner pouch boards than heretofore constructed because of theelimination of the thickness required for the countersinks and' for theductslead fing to such countersinks. w

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve-actuating pouch.which will have a greater range of movement than the diaphragms of usualpouch boards, thus ini creasing the sensitiveness and activity of 'thepneumatic con-trolling mechanism.

Afurtlier object of the invention is to provide a valve-actuating pouchwhich will act with absolute uniformity and which will not be subject tovariations by reason of change in atmospheric conditions.

A further and. important object of the invention is to provide avalve-actuating pouch which will not. become loosened or displaced andthis is accomplished by providing a pouch of the character abovereferred to in which the opposite walls of the pouch exertequal andopposite pressures upon the valve stem and asuitable almtment,'such asthe pouch hoard itself. Other objects and features otthe invention willmore fully appear from the following dcscriptkin and the accompanyindrawing and will be particularly pointe out in the claims. Y

A preferred embodiment of the invention is ilhustratezl i.n theaccompanying drawing applied to the valve controlling mechanism formusical instruments, such as piano players or organ players, but it willhenndierstood that the invention may be-incorporatedin other controllimechanisms to which applicable wit 1111 the scope of the claims. v v

drawing: V 'Fig., l .a ItiC:1l5ECt-lOna1.ViBW through thepneumatiecontrollingmeehanism of a piano player or organ player fiiowing theconduit which leads to the tracker-bar brokenzawvay; w

Fig. 2,is.a -vertical 'onal view through a novel .form of pouch 021111with the valveaetn at-ingopouehes mounted thereupon, hvo of such pouchesbeing illustrated in. deflated and one ininflated positions; j'. Fig.3915 an enlarged detail vie v, mainly in vertical section, on line 3%3Fig. 1, showin,g a valve, formed-of two 'sheets'of material nuited'attheir peripheraledges; c his a similarjiegvshowinga valve pooch t-he jialls ofivvhichfl ar'e integral; 7 5 ish verticalfsectionalqieyv similarto F1g. -1.o f a usual typgoi pnerunatic colitrolling .device:,-and, Q;

Fig. 6 is afvertical sectional view of the usuali forms of pouch boardand illustrating .the manner in \vhichfthe pouches are secured thereto 4l The pneumatic controlling mechanism for musical instrumentsillustrated in Figs. 1 to it ineluve comprises a pneumatic or bel lows 1which is connected by ajsuitable link 2 to the picker mechanism yhiehlactnates the playing mechani5m of .a piano or organ. The action of thepneumatic or bellows .1 is produced by the exhaustion and admission ofair to the pneumatic or bellows through a conduit :3 Whiehlcads from thechamber of the pneumatic toa horizontal conduit 4 which has in its upperWall a port 5 leading to the atmosphere and in its lower wall a port 6leading to an exhaust chamber 7 which: is maintained in a stateofpartial vacuum by the l usual mechanism (not shown). The ports 5 and 6in the construction illustrated are controlled by a disk valve 8 whichhas a stem .9, preferably cruciform in cross section, rigidly secured toit.

The opposite end of the valve stem may engage directly or indirectly awall of the valve pouch 10. The opposite wall of the raive pouch 1Orests upon and tieirably is fixedly secured to the pouch hoard 1. v andis provided with a central port which communicates with a duct 19. whichcommunicates with a flexible conduit. 1 leading to the tracker-bar 14and cmmnunicaling with a port- 15 therein. The perforated music sheet.is stretched acrossthe face lti ot the trawl-zerbar and the 'body of thesheet normally seals the port 1 5. JVhen, however, the perforations inthe music Sher-f register with the port 15 air is admitted and passesthrough the conduit 13, thence through the duct 12 in the pouch boardand through the port of the valve pouch into the retro pouch. As thevalve pouch located in the exhaustfc-hamber the admission of air intothe valve pouch SQCVQS to inflate the 221e, thereby raising the valvestem and valve, opening thep'ort 6 and closing the opposite port? of theconduit 4 Which leads to the prieuniatic; The exhaustf'chamber isthereby connected direetlyfthrough the port 6 andcouduits at and '3 withthe pneumatic and the pneumatic quickly caused to collapse by reason ofthe exhapstion of from its chamber :ind the atmospheric pressure upontheouter' wall of the pneumatic, 'lhis causes the slink), to actuat'e"picker mechanism vhich controls the production o'frtliefinusic either bythe str'ilnng of a. note for by the actuation of mechanismjwhich'fcontiols the character or gluiali ty ofthe predated; \Vhe'n. theperforations of}; I 'jnus ic sheet; pass beyond the port'.1 5 the'eiitrance of air into the conduit I3gis pi'e v'entd and rim-eaves per-Knitted to deflate. deflation "per- :mitted and accelera-tedfby' a-bleeder port 1'? ivhich leads from 'tl'ieexhziust chainber to the duct13, the air in the ductbeing drawn ffhifougjlrthe' poi't lTtherehyproducing a partial vacuum intl'ie duct and the "conduit 13 which'leads'to the tracker-bar. I

The duct 17' desirably, 'is of small diameter s ut fieient 'hotvever toermit a rapid out nottoo abrupt a de ation of the valve pouch. Thepartial exhaustionof the air from thediict 12 and conduit 13 alsoproduces asuotion' action through the port .5 which aids in retainingthem usic sheet in contact withthe tracker-bar.

' The resent invention comprise n vel form of inflatable valve-actuatingpouch having oppositely disposed flexible wall sections with a freelymovable. periphery, the wall sections .upon inflation of the pouchheing'adapted to exert oppositel directed forces upon the valve andthe acement and also comprisesvarions simplifi-i tirzr" of the pneumaticcontrolling apparatus Wilwl mar he made by reason of the cmployn'ient ofthis united at their edges or periphery.

novel valveactuating pouch. Numerous ad vantages are also attained bythe use of the novel valve pouch forming part of the invention as willhereinafter more fully appear. I

The valve-actuating pouch ofthe present invention comprises oppositelydisposed walls 18 and 19 sections of which, preferably the centralsections, act respectively upon the valve stem 9 and upon a suitableabutment such as the pouch board 11. The walls of the pouch desirablycomprise two sheets of suitable flexible material. which preferably areof circular form and are However, the valve pouch may be made of asingle sheet of flexible material constructed or formed in any suitablemanner. The valveactuating pouch desirably is made of finely wovenfabric imperviously I coated or impreguated with rubber or a rubbercomposition and the peripheral edge portions of the sheets desirably arevulcanized together. Other suitable materials, however," may be used.such as rubber. Zephyr-skin, gut, or

any other suitableflexible and "impervious material. j

A. valve-actuating pouch comprising two sheets of material as abovedescribed is illustrated in Fig." 2, "whi'le" a valve-actuating pouchformed in a singleintegral' piece is illustrated in Fig. 4 partially'insection. The valve pouch thus constructed, whether formed in juxtaposedsheets or integrally, when deflated is substantially'flatas illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2,"a'nd when 'infia-ted is of oblate form substantially as-illustrated in the central portion of Fig. 2.

In the use of the fval ve'fpou'ch'the lower wall 19, which is providedwith a central port 20, may bearrangedto rest'iipon or may be connecteddirectly to the tracker bar 11 so that the'port 2O will'communic atewith the duct 12inthe,'pouch"'boardwhich leads to the conduitcommunicatingwith the tracker-bar. Desirably lioweve'rifa base21 ofrelatively rigid materiahand preferably oi narrow annularfornris'secured to the wall 19 of.thevalveactuating pouch and surroundsthe port 20. This base desirably is. glued or cc1nented"fir mly to thepouch board. The opposite wall 18 of the pouch may engage the end ofthe'valve stem 9. but desirably a plate 22 preferably of relativelyrigid material, such as fibre board, is inter posed between the wall 18of the valve pouch and the end of the valve stern. This plate may besecured either to tl'ie valve pouch or the valve stem, but preferably issecured to the. wall 18 of the valve pouch.

In order more fully to disclose the differences in construction betweenthe usual pneumatic controlling mechanisms for valves and the novelmechanism forming the subject matter of the invention av usual form ofpneumatic controlling mechanism for musical instruments is illustratedin Figs. 5 and 6. In the construction illustrated in these figures thepneumatic 23, the conduit 24 with the port 25" establishing communcation with the atmosphere; and'the port 26 communicating with theexhaust chamber 27, may be andare the same as those illustrated inFig. 1. The valve 28, which'controls the valve ports 25 and 26, however,has a downwardly extending boss 29 which projects into the port 26 andis recessed to provide a pivotal connection with the upperv end of thevalve stem 30, the lower end ofwhich rests upon a diaphragm 31 which issecured at its edges around the periphery of a countersink 32 in theupper face of the pouch board 33. The recesses 32 of the pouch board inusual constructions are of cylindrical form and the walls 34intermediate of adja-cent 'recesses are frequently no more than fromthreethirty-seconds to one fourthr-inch xin .tlnckness. v i r:

The grain -=of the. -wood oftentimes is of such porosity as to permitmore or lessleak: age of air from on'eicoun'tersink to the-next when theI adjacent countersinks are 1 subjected to difl'erent degrees of: airpressure. or vacuum. This, of course; results in: :im-

proper actuationi'ofis'the vaLvsm-ln ordento overcomethis'porosityrthenface. of the Walve pouchboard is filled-rwithwshellaclorother suitablematerialzflvhiclr is expensive .b'othfin time andworkmanship and: does :not. always fully obviate the leakage. w "Theproduction-of the countensi ks in. the face of the pouch board;requiresi-theuseot expensivefi andimaccurate machinery, and skilled1abor.'- o 'llheseaeln'ectit' nsv are avoided in thepresent-invention'as thezpouch-.bcard does not htlver-tolbfhcollntelfillnk!9I1z$P6Clally treateda". f' we'i" MinThediaphragms; *31iin -ushalmonst-ruetions are ordinarilyoi she'epskimand' zoi course,

vary ::inwthibkness'v in' accordance 3wit h.-,the 3 .1

portion of the hide from which-they -are cut. When these .diaphragms areassembled. upon the pouch'boards they are: pressed-J down-sin theircenters and then cemented around the edges. is required promptly tosecure. .the-

diaphragms intheir; places -and'tllie diaphragms. by reason Iof'their-:unevemthiekness inaccuracy of application,:willnot bend withuniformity When' airf'is introduced beneath H them so that theiractiojnifupon the-qvalve stem is notdirectly in -tlie=line of thef axisof the valve stem, thu's requiring t-he flexible connection o'fthe valvestein, itolthe valve Careful work of a skilled workman I 7 abovementioned. x-Furthermore theinaccu- F center by reason byvarying-atmospheric conditions-such as variations in humidity, and theiraction is also modiIiedby-the expansion and contraction of the wood dueto shrinkage and warping caused by atmospheric and other conditions Allof these objections are avoided in the present invention as-the flexiblewalls of the diaphragm can be made with absolute uniformityand by reasonof the fact that one-of .said walls "nests upon or is secured to thebase centrally and has free peripheral edges and since the opposite wallengages in its center the valve stem the =forces appliedarealwaysfdirectly in .al-i-ncment with the axis of the valve stem; Noflexible connection between the valve stem and :valve is, therefore;required.- '2 --.T:

In usual constructions such as that illustrated in-.-'Fig. .5 the'fpouchboard must be of suificient'thickn'ess vto-qirovide a countersink of:suflicient Idepthto permit the :maximum movement of the -valvestemrequia cd promptly to operate the valve. In the construction:fembddying the present invention the countersinks are unnecessary/thuspermitting the use of a thinner p'ouc'h lboard and -entinely olbviatingthe necessity of emp lo 'n ecia niachi tonpnoduc-in the The vilfied-actuating .poiiches made in accordance with'rthe present inventionhave a greater range of movement and much greater sensitivene'ss,this-"being permitted by the free movement of the edges of the valvepouch and because of the provision of two flexible Walls instead of'one.

-By reasonof the present invention the valve pouch can be made ofmaterials which are unaffected by the action-of the atmosphere andabsolute accuracy otcperat-ion' is thereby'insured. The valve pouches ofthe present invention can be more easily installed and more readilyreplaced when necessary than valve pouches of the old construction andimproper operation and required replacement isrelatively rare. Inasmuchas the valve pouch is the heart of the action of the pneumaticcontrolling mechanism the greater sensitiveness and activity afforded bythe present invention is very advantagenus. The present invention alsopermits the employment of disks of feltor fibre between the end of thevalve stem and the wall of the valve pouch and thereby increases he lifeof the pouch. The material of which the valve pouch is constructed nlaybe of much more durable substance than has heretofore been employed andthe life of the pneumatic action consequently increased. The presentinvention permits the construction of pneumatic controlling mechanismwhich will occupy much smaller space than heretofore which in manyinstances is of great advantage in the construction and in the range ofthe instrument.

These and various other advantages of the present invention will beapparentto those skilled in the :art. The invention permits not only alarge saving in expense of construction as heretofore pointed out, butalso permits a largesaving in cost of materials as the cost of suchmaterials as fine fabric coated or impregnated with rubber orrubber-composition is greatly less than the cost of leather such assheep skins which must be of such very high quality that only onehalf ofthe soft skin of :1 hide can be employed and the overhead required tocarry a suitable amount of material thereby reduced.

It, will be understood that the embodiment of the-invention disclosedherein is of an illustrative character and that various changes in form,material, and construction of, parts maybe made within the spirit andscope of the claims. It will also be obvious that the invention may beapplied to other uses-than those specifically mentioned-herein within-the meaning and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

a 1. An inflatable valve-actuating pouch comprising two juxtaposedsubstantially flat sheets of flexible rubberized material, peripherallyunited. a base of relatively small area secured to the central portionof one of said sheets permitting flexure of substantially the fullareas-of said sheets anda port in said baseand sheet for admitting airinto said pouch.

2 An inflatable valve actuatimc pouch comprising two juxtaposedsubstantially flat sheets of rubberized fine fabric vulcanized top-etheradjacent'theirperiphery and means tor admitting air to said pouch.

3 An inflatable valve-actuating pouch comprising two juxtaposedsubstantially flatshects of rubberized fine fabric vulcanized togetheradjacent their periphery, a base of much smaller area than said sheetsSecured to the central portion of one of said sheets permitting flcxureof substantially the full areas of said sheets and a port in said baseand sheet for admitting air to said pouch.

4. A pneumatic controlling mechanism for nms cril instruments comprisinga pneumatic a valve chamber communicating therewith, a pouch boardforming the wall of said valve chamber and havins: a duct,-a valvecontrollingthe flow of air into and out of said pneumatic, an inflatablevalve-actuating pouch comprising two juxtaposed substantially flatsheets of rubberized fine fabric vulcanized toficther adjacent theirperiphery, one of said sheets having a central port communii-at ng withsaid duct and means for controlling the admission of .air to said ductand means securing said sheet to said pouch Fll board around said portand only in close proximity thereto.

5. A pneumatic controlling mechanism for musical instruments comprisinga pneumatic, a valve chamber communicating therewith, a pouch boardforming the wall of said valve chamber and having a duct, a valvecontrolling the flow of air into and out of said pneumatic, aninflatable valve-actuating pouch comprising two juxtaposed substantiallyfiat sheets of rubberized fine fabric vulcanized together adjacent theirperiphcry, a circular base of small area secured to the central portionof one of said sheets and to said pouch board whereby the. attachedsheet will be freely flexible throughoutsubstantially its entire area,said sheet and base having aligned central ports communicating with saidduct and means for controlling the admission of air to said duct.

6. A pneumatic controlling mechanism for i musical instrumentscomprisinga pneumat ic, a valve-chamber and pouch board therebeneath presenting aflat surface forming the lower wall of said valve-chamber and having aduct therein leading to said valvechamber, a conduit communicating withsaid pneumatic having aligned ports communicating respectively with theatmosphere and said valve-chamber, a valve having means to control bothof said ports and normally tending by the influence of gravity to closethe port to said valve-chamber, an inflatable valve-actuating pouchformed of juxtaposed fiat sheets of rubberized fine fabric vulcanizedtogether adjacent their peripheries located below said valve, the lowerof said sheets resting upon said pouch board and having a central portcommunicating with said duct whereby admission of air through said ductin conjunctionwith a partial vacuum maintained in said valvechambervwill raise the valve against the action of gravity to close theport in the-conduit leading to the atmosphere, simultaneously openingthe port leading to the pneumatic to actuate the latter. a s v v Intestimony whereof, I have signed my "name, to this specification.

ADOLPH P; GUSTAF SON.

